


Fight for the forgotten

by Sophie_Vers



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Confrontations, Creepy Ra's al Ghul, Damian Wayne is a Little Shit, Detective Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson is Bad at Feelings, Investigations, One Shot, POV Bruce Wayne, Surprise Ending, Tim Drake Angst, Tim Drake Needs Help, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Tim Drake-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:16:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21808060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophie_Vers/pseuds/Sophie_Vers
Summary: After coming back from being lost in time, Bruce observes how much things have changed. Especially Tim who seems to be a completely different person now.Looking closely, Bruce notices cracks in the seemingly perfect facade of Red Robin. The fact that not a single person wants to talk about Tim and the boy himself clearly avoids Bruce doesn't help in putting his worries to rest so the man starts to investigate.OR That one time when Batman makes a full cycle and starts stalking the boy who once stalked him.!Ending is probably not what you'd expect!
Relationships: Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Ra's al Ghul
Comments: 37
Kudos: 709





	1. Fight for the forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D-CV236XUAI0VQD?format=jpg&name=large
> 
> This is the map that I used ;)

Many things have changed while Bruce had been lost in time, there was no denying that. 

On the upside, he was back for three months now. On the downside, he still couldn’t get used to the world he came back to. That’s why he had to spend every free moment on catching up, talking to anybody he could as long as he could and, when no one was available, read old mission reports.

He still hasn’t come back to the field, but there was no reason for him to worry. Dick made a great Batman in his stead.

There were many things he should be thanking the boy for. As far as he knew, Dick, single-handedly, brought the entire family together and made its bond stronger. ‘They all had to come together to fill in the hole Bruce had left with his apparent death’ as Dick explained it.

Damian was Robin now, that had been a rather big revelation for Bruce. The boy was also less likely to attack with the closest available weapon when offended, he was treating the criminals gentlier than Bruce would suspect. The boy refrained from leaving permanent damage on them. Even though his sharp tongue was still apparent, one stern look from Dick stopped the youngest Wayne in his tracks.

Bruce have been also informed that his oldest son teamed up with Jason and they started teaching Damian about present-day’s pop culture, starting from Disney movies. Pure image of Damian watching Cinderella dancing and singing made him smile.

Jason kept in touch, which was a big improvement. He also visited the cave once in a while, even stayed for dinner when asked by Alfred. Bruce’s heart swelled with happiness every time they were in one room together and their conversation didn’t end up being a heated argument.

Stephanie and Cassandra never really distanced themselves, but Bruce could see how both of them improved as well. Stephanie in fight and Cassandra in contact with other humans.

Barbara worked with the Birds of Prey and from what Dick had told him, she was even better tech support than she had been before, which didn’t surprise him.

He really haven’t seen much of Tim since his return. Still, from the little he have, he would say that Tim was the one that changed the most. He was like a completely different person, almost enough that if the older man didn’t know his face well enough, he’d never recognize him by character alone.

He wouldn’t think much of it, (Tim took on a new persona after all, he could have changed his personality to match Red Robin as well, gained new experience etc.) if not for the fact that the boy appeared to be the only person that wasn’t eager to tell him all about what Bruce had missed.

Tim was the one that found him, just as Bruce predicted he would, but right after that Tim said he was too busy to stay and then to come and meet him as well. The older man still didn’t have a chance to thank him properly and that bothered him a lot. 

That’s why Bruce kept calling to set a date of meeting only to be met by another and another excuse. It almost seemed as if Tim have been outright avoiding him and that was suspicious, that’s why Bruce decided he was going to keep a close eye at the boy and do what he does the best – investigate.

That’s how, three months after coming back, Bruce took an interest in his son’s life.

xxxxx

The first thing Bruce did after realizing something was off was checking Tim’s mission reports. All of the Bats were obliged to write them, Bruce thought them necessary. It didn’t matter how often the rest complained, they couldn’t deny that the information from reports saved their butts more than once and after coming back Bruce have been happy to find his family didn’t just stop writing them as soon as he was gone.

Tim’s have always been especially thorough, full of his personal thoughts and theories. It was more likely for Bruce to save them for last and enjoy a nice reading after Dick’s mess of a report. 

This order hadn’t changed, that’s why since coming back Bruce have read Dick’s, Stephanie’s and part of Damian’s reports so far and didn’t even think of checking Tim’s.

Now he really wished he had, because after opening the right folder, he found out that last updated file was from a few days after Bruce’s apparent death. Nothing more have been added to the boy’s reports since then. Long months without a word notice and no one realized that, at least no one mentioned that to the man.

Dreading of what he'll see inside, Bruce opened the file and read the text. 

'I’ll find Bruce alone.'

This was… unsettling at best. At least the second to last file was completely normal, it consisted of Tim’s explains of his train of thought that made him realize Bruce wasn’t dead, which really impressed the older man. Not for the first time he felt proud of the young genius. 

The last thing Tim wrote down was about how he’s going to go to Dick tomorrow and tell him about his findings, so they could look for Bruce together.

He could already guess how that conversation went, because not a single written information existed about the boy’s whereabouts since that day and his oldest son never mentioned anything about looking for him. 

The only thing Bruce was able to get out of Dick was that Tim went somewhere and came back months later with the real Batman at his side. He could see his son withholding some, if not all, crucial information. He also never mentioned Tim coming to him and asking to look for Bruce together.

The only thing he could be sure about wass that the boy must have spent a lot of time away from Gotham, alone. The thought that there was nothing documenting those times made him shiver.

He didn’t even know if Tim kept in contact with the rest of Bats, he had to learn more.

xxxxx

All attempts to find out anything from the other Bats turned into a fiasco, they avoided topics involving Tim even more than Tim avoided Bruce himself.

Bruce preferred for no no one to know he’s going out again, that would rise unnecessary questions, that’s why he chose a night when the cave was uncharacteristically empty to follow Tim on his patrol route and see the boy in action. 

At least Ti’s daily path was up to date on the Batcomputer, even though his GPS has been kept off most of the time, Bruce noted.

Red Robin’s new territory consisted of Otisburg and Burnley. The only areas bordering Red Hood’s smaller but tougher Narrows, Crime Alley and The Bowery. Bruce also noticed that their paths often met, but left that information for later to consider.

Bruce put on one of his costumes for special missions. The one that didn’t resemble Batman persona in the slightest, just some simple ninja-like attire and made his way to the north side of Otisburg, where he expected to find Tim.

xxxxx

And find Tim he did, by following the sound of screams that were audible almost ten blocks away from the actual fight.

The first thing he noticed after arriving at the scene was the overwhelming amount of unconscious bodies littering the floor. Protocols set for the Bats said that when there are over 15 opponents, you have to call for assistance. Whether you think you’ll be able to beat them or not being irrelevant.

Apparently that one rule Robi- Red Robin had ignored, if the several not moving thugs were anything to go by. Tim, who he though to be the best at following orders, ignored it. He’d expect that from about everyone but him.

His concerns were fast gone though, when he took a closer look at the currently fighting vigilante. Bruce watched as the boy took care of 4 crooks at once, not an easy task even for more experienced heroes and he realized how far Tim’s fighting style was from what he remembered. 

Red Robin’s moves were extremely controlled, maybe even more so than his own. The boy seemed to know every step his opponent was about to take before they even decided to do so. There were no unnecessary motions, no hesitation. Watching him was like watching a prepared performance.

The fight was almost one-sided, not a single hit thrown at Tim had connected with its target. Bruce concluded that this must be caused by the boy’s strategic thinking skills. Of course Tim made progress in the time Bruce was away, but it still didn’t stop him from being cranky about it. He wished he could have seen all of his children growing process.

Especially since some of Tim’s moves the older man didn’t recognize. Someone who’s not a Bat must have been teaching him, Bruce wondered who could that be.

When that thought passed him, he saw Tim getting hit straight in abdomen. Bruce cringed internally, a blow like that would leave a decent sized bruise, even with kevlar padding on. 

Just as he started thinking of some excuse as to why Bruce would be at Red Robin’s territory, and in this unusual attire on top of that, to join in the fight, Red Robin started turning around, seemingly ignoring a thug from the lucky hit. Bruce only had time to frown in confusion at the obvious rookie mistake, when the crook fell down to the ground, clutching his leg in pain. 

Bruce rewound last several seconds a few times in his head to try to understand what had actually happened.

When he did, his jaw all but hit the ground. The boy let himself be hit on purpose.

In a place, where the thug had to put a leg in order to step back after striking, laid a discarded Morgenstern bat. Tim must have predicted what move the man would have to make after punching him. He chose taking a hit, so that the crook would injure himself in the process. The boy must have considered it a better option than fighting him longer. 

It terrified Bruce, that’s something he for sure had never taught any of his proteges and never would. Just where did the boy learned to do so?

The fight was over now and Bruce watched as the boy notified the police, so they could arrest the criminals. At least this part he was familiar with.

xxxxx

He have been following the boy for another hour before anything interesting happened. It was nearing 1am when a shadow crept behind Red Robin, who sat on the edge of some roof in the east side of Burnley near the Bowery, seemingly unaware.

Bruce watched as the mysterious person came close enough to the boy to be actually able to touch him. Only then did Red Robin react.

He raised his right fist in a smooth motion, only for it to be... fist bumped. 

Bruce’s eyes widened in confusion and then grew even rounder when the shadow sat next to Tim, exposing themselves to the lamp’s light in the process and revealing their shiny red helmet.

Red Hood.

Having territories next to each other was one thing, but meeting and chatting in friendly atmosphere was another.

Especially with Jason, who, next to Damian, Bruce least expected Tim to befriend. He tried to kill the boy on multiple occasions after all.

What looked like a friendly banter never turned into a fight, like he assumed it would. He really wanted to come closer and actually listen to what they were saying, but couldn’t risk being noticed.

One thing Bruce could be certain about, Red Robin was not the boy he left behind.

xxxxx

The next morning Bruce watched as seemingly well-rested and full of energy young CEO of Wayne Enterprises Timothy Drake-Wayne answered questions at a press conference. 

To be honest, he expected for Lucius to take over while he was gone, not his teenage son, but Tim’s always been more than capable.

He felt bad about leaving a burden of running a company to a 17 year old, but he was in no shape to take over himself, being too much out of the loop. Bruce still didn’t catch up with all that had happened with his family members while he was away, even less so with his business life. Besides, at the first look the boy seemed to be in his element and if he wanted an out, he’d say something. At least Bruce liked to think so.

As he listened to Tim’s enthusiastic and inspiring speech about increasing the amount of workers WE employed by 20% until the end of this year, Bruce ruefully thought about something else. 

This person wasn’t the Tim he left behind as well. And if not Red Robin, not Timothy Drake, then Bruce had to find a way to meet the real Tim.

xxxxx

It was almost embarrassing how long it had taken him to notice that something was off. To be fair he had a lot of information to process in this short period of time, but still, he liked to think he wasn’t called the World’s Greatest Detective for nothing.

Rewinding the Batcave’s cameras from last three months revealed some worrying facts, there seemed to be a one little detail that slipped his mind. 

Tim never came upstairs. Not even once for the six months worth of footage has the boy laid his feet on the Wayne Manor floors. Unfortunately that’s the time after recordings are automatically deleted, so Bruce wasn’t able to see just what happened the day the boy decided to leave Gotham and look for him, cutting of from his previous life.

Tim didn’t visit the cave very often as well, only when it was completely necessary. And when he did come, he refrained from taking part in friendly conversations.

What was even worse, the rest of Bats seemed to be just as unwilling to interact with the boy as he was with them, but when confronted about it, his family denied that anything out of place was happening.

Nobody wanted to explain what happened to the boy when he was away, that much Bruce had already realized, even Alfred stayed silent, the butler was an expert in evading even direct questions when he wished to. But the fact that no one seemed to be willing to talk about Tim’s current state as wall was a new revelation for the man.

Especially Dick seemed to get extremely uncomfortable when anyone mentioned the boy. And by anyone Bruce meant himself, because no one else did.

He’d wait for a chance too see the pair interact, but in the meantime, he had another idea.

xxxxx

Bingo. Tim still worked with Teen Titans on the weekends and they not only had mission reports filled, but also often were video recorded by a special flying device.

That’s even more than Bruce was counting to find. 

He played a few recordings, looking for one with Red Robin in it. When he did, he checked a date on it, it was from around two weeks ago, and chose a matching report to read it first. It hasn’t been written by Tim himself, that much Bruce could tell, but it was detailed enough to work with.

‘8:47am alarm rings. It’s an alien invasion again, but different species this time. We gather all the details we can get on our way there. Red Robin’s orders. When we get at the scene, our roles are already given. Before even seeing the ship or aliens yet, each of us gets a plan of action for themselves from RR. RR’s plan works perfectly, he’s the only one that goes inside while we fight the aliens outside in groups. No idea what he’s done, but the ship took off. All aliens hurried to get inside and flew away, just like that. Honestly, he should come by more often, work with him is like no work at all, he does all the thinking and I can do all the beating, no prob at all.’

Conner probably. Normally Bruce would be annoyed by the unnecessary ramblings, but this time they were useful. Tim’s tactical skills were on an extremely high level now if the whole team was able to rely on Tim’s orders only and win by doing so.

Then he played the attached video. 

Recording starts the second Teen Titans leave their jet and Bruce focuses on finding Tim. Heroes spill from the entrance, all with a sense of purpose, clearly knowing where to go and what to do. Red Robin comes out at the end, immediately grappling to a roof of the closest building. The camera doesn’t follow him, focusing on already fighting heroes.

Bruce kept his eyes on visible rooftops and saw Red Robin appear again. He zoomed in on him and watched as the boy took out something from his utility belt and put it in his ear. A comm link? But why would he start using it so late in the mission?

Bruce rewound the recording and saw that the boy, in fact, already had one, but in his other ear. What was the second for? It clearly didn’t look like the ones Bats or Teen Titans used, the boy could have some allies they didn’t know about.

He resumed the video only to see Tim grappling somewhere behind the alien ship. The next time he appeared, the fight was already over, foreign creatures literally running to their already deporting ship while Red Robin makes his way out of it unhurriedly.

Recording ends with the team cheering and high five-ing. Tim’s other comm link nowhere in sight.

Bruce watched a few more of similar videos, but there wasn’t much information that Bruce obtained from those. He’ll take every little thing he can to get anyway, to know the secret behind Tim Drake as he was now. Bruce could already add to the list ‘an even better leader than he was before’ and ‘using a mysterious earpiece’. 

That was something, but not nearly enough.

xxxxx

A few days later a monthly Bats meeting took place. Since coming back, Bruce avoided every single one of those. He knew that after hearing so much about villains latest activities, no power in this universe could stop him from running back on the streets.

This time though, he sat at the table, hoping that Tim would make an appearance. Dick tried really hard to talk him out of staying, which made him only more determined to do so. Alfred, Dick, Stephanie, Damian, Cassandra and, surprisingly, Jason were already present. The last one sitting a little farther away from the family, chairs next to him empty. It was clear that none of them wanted him here, Bruce can’t imagine every previous meeting being carried out in such a nervous atmosphere as there is now.

From what little information Bruce was able to gather, Red Robin showing up on those meetings was a lottery and, for some reason, no one seemed to be eager to order him to come, like Dick did with the others.

Talking about Dick, the boy kept glancing anxiously at the cave entrance for vehicles. Bruce focused on him instead of watching for Tim himself and could pinpoint the exact moment the younger one appeared, because Dick’s expression changed. But instead of relief and happiness Bruce expected to see, guilt and sadness radiated from his oldest son in waves.

Confused, Bruce as well looked at the approaching Redbird. 

Red Robin killed the engine and literally stumbled off his bike, barely catching balance. He took off his helmet and mask and shakily made his way to the rest of the present vigilantes. As he got closer, Bruce could see more details about the shape he was in. His face looked thinner than a few days ago, bags under his bloodshoot eyes seemed to have their own bags underneath. If Bruce didn’t see him walking, he’d said the boy could barely stand, judging by how exhausted he looked.

Bruce, waiting for Alfred to scold the boy for letting himself go off too far, looked at the older man and frowned in confusion. Alfred had his head lowered and made no comment, but from where Bruce was seated, he could see the butler’s pained expression. 

In the meantime, Tim made his way to them, sat at the table, away from everyone, but closest to Jason. The piece of furniture was big enough that no one had to sit next to each other if they wished so.

The boy put his helmet somewhere next to his feet and had to hold the edge of the table to rise from his bent position, then he sagged on the chair, closing his eyes.

Everyone was silent for a long while, looking everywhere but at the tired teenager, before Damian finally scoffed. “How many times do you have to be reminded you’re unwelcome here to stop slandering us with your filthy presence?” 

Bruce’s eyes widened, the boy made so much progress in the time he was away, that he was sure his hostile behavior towards Tim weakened as well. The man looked around the table to see the other’s reactions and came to be shocked even more.

No one, besides Damian, seemed to be eager to say anything. They all looked guilty, but especially girls were heartbroken, Stephanie had tears in her eyes, Cassandra was clutching at the place where her heart was. No one denied Damian’s words.

Bruce’s heart ached for the boy, just what could have happened to divide his family so much?

“Shut it, Gremlin” Tim answered without steam, still not opening his eyes “I’m only here to give you something and then I’m out.”

“You better!” the younger seethed.

Bruce had enough of that. “Damian, that’s not how you’re supposed to address your brother” he said sternly.

All heads whipped to him, atmosphere changed. Bruce could especially feel Damian and Tim’s eyes boring into him. He locked eyes with Tim and was met with a face so sincerely baffled, it hurt. That’s when Bruce realized that most likely no one have defended the boy for a long time.

“Father, how dare you stand on the Outcast side?!” Damian was so angry that he stood up and pointed an accusing finger at Tim. ”You would refrain from doing so if you knew that Drake partnered with-”

“Damian, no-” Dick joined, only to be interrupted.

“Father deserves to know!” his youngest son screeched, and despite Dick’s attempts to silence him “The Sciolist worked with Grandfather when you were gone! That is disgraceful! Drake tried to took away my rightful place in the League of Assassins!”

Tim. Little genius Tim. Working with Ra’s al Ghul. Bruce’s brain tried to comprehend that information, while the argument continued.

“That what yer salty ‘bout, kid? That Granddaddy loves little Replacement more than ya?” Jason snickered. 

“Shut up, Todd!” Damian was red from anger and maybe embarrassment. “It’s obvious Drake has no honor, but let him defend himself!”

By the time someone mentioned him again, Tim had already wiped any visible expression from his face and answered, seemingly uncaring “There’s nothing to defend. I did what I had to.”

“You coward! You let yourself be tricked, you-”

“Gosh, do you ever just shut up?” Tim interrupted, exhaustion evident in his voice now.

“Tim, is that true?” was all Bruce was able to think about, and he didn’t even realize he asked about it out loud.

The boy’s eyes turned to him, still carrying no emotion. “Yes, Ra’s provided me resources necessary to find you.”

Bruce wasn’t able to hide the hurt in his voice, when he said “But, why him? You had more than enough help already.”

Tim only looked at him as if he pitied him. “Oh believe me, I didn’t have a single parson on my side here.” The boy stood up and made his way out, not a single voice stopping him.

xxxxx

“Is someone finally going to explain to me what the hell happened with Tim?” Bruce addressed the crowd after minutes and minutes of silence. They all looked ashamed, but Dick was the only one that visibly flinched.

Unsurprisingly, Damian was the one to start talking fist. “I have already informed you, Father. Drake allied with-” 

“Oh shut yer mouth, brat.” Jason rolled his eyes, he had his legs, crossed at ankles, on the table “Ya’ll screwed up, let’s face it.”

“We really did, didn’t we?” Stephanie admitted ruefully.

“Ya still are” Jason added. Everyone must have agreed with it, because thoughtful silence followed that sentence.

“Will I have to find out myself what happened or are you going to enlighten me?” Bruce was losing patience. On of his kids have been suffering and apparently the rest caused it happening.

“Brother.” It was the first thing Cassandra said today, looking at Dick intently.

Alfred chose that moment to usher Damian out of the cave under the pretext of needing help in the kitchen. Dick gave him a thankful look as the boy went out complaining about the butler’s incompetence

As soon as the youngest Wayne was out of earshot, Dick exhaled loudly and deflated in his seat. “So we all agree it’s mostly my fault?” he made a pause and waited for answers, but no one seemed to want to deny that. “Yea, okay, I get it.” He took a deep breath and addressed his father. “When you- when we thought you died, it was hard, like really, really hard. I took over the mantle of Batman, but I couldn’t work with Tim as Robin. He was my equal. So I gave Robin to Damian, but I- I just forgot to mention that to Tim.”

Bruce closed his eyes, scared of what he’s hearing as Dick continued.

“I could see he was really hurt when he realized what had happened and then Damian started insulting him, but I was just starting the process of getting close to him and I could have destroyed all the progress we’ve made together, so I couldn’t defend Tim. I mean, he’s smart, smarter than all of us, I though he’d get it.”

“What ya did, Dickhead, is you’ve chosen one brother over another.” Jason defended Tim again. “And that’s just a shitty thing ta do.”

“I see that now, thank you Jay” Dick grunt out.

“Then why aren’t ya fixin’ it?” the other retorted.

“How am I supposed to do that, when I can’t even look him in the eyes?!” Dick’s voice grew louder.

“We’ll leave that for later.” Bruce joined in “Now I have to know everything you do.”

Dick took a minute to calm down and focused on the task again. “Yea, okay. So the same day Tim sent me some files telling you’re alive and he’ll find find a way to bring you back to us. He offered I could help… I didn’t believe him. I honestly though he was crazy, I even called him and tried to get to him, but it just turned into another fight. God I think I threatened to put him in Arkham” he admitted with horror. “He really sounded insane. I can’t get some of what he said out of my mind. ‘I’ve got nothing to lose anymore and I know he’s alive, I’ll find him even if I had to do this alone. You can all call me crazy but I know it’s true, I know it, I know it, I know it. Until I think for too long about it, I know.’

“I haven’t heard from him for months after that, sometimes I wondered if he was even alive. But then one day he suddenly comes back, fighting Ra’s al Ghul of all people.”

Bruce filled with dread, the Demon Head was one of his first and toughest enemies, just the though of Tim having to face the man left him terrified.

“And he won” Dick continued. ” Tim won against this immortal mastermind. I don’t know what had exactly happened, but Ra’s hurt him and kicked him out of window, but Tim had saved everyone this creep targeted long before that. And I caught him, brought him home, but when he woke up… he wasn’t the Tim I knew. Those few months away changed him completely. He- he almost looked disappointed that I managed to save him that day. I could see how exhausted he was, how done, he didn’t even look like death wormed over, it was worse than that. I offered him to stay, but he said something like ‘No, now that I don’t have Ra’s on my side anymore, it’s going to take a lot longer, but at least I know where to start from’.”

“So he worked with Ra’s al Ghul to find me… but something went wrong and Ra’s attacked him instead.” Bruce concluded.

“Yes, that’s what we think.” Dick agreed.

“What happened next?”

“Tim stayed in Gotham, but emancipated and took over WE.” this time it was Stephanie who answered, her voice wavering from time to time. “Even though he lived in the same city, he made sure to never meet any of us. Even now, I don’t have any idea where he stays.”

“Not try help. Brother.” Cassandra added.

“Yes, Timmy cut off from all of us, but to be fair we didn’t really try to get in contact with him. Honestly, I have been scared of him, still am.” Dick continued. “When he brought you back, it was the first time we saw him outside of tv since the incident with Ra’s.”

“To realize Tim has been right all this time… it was terrifying” Stephanie added. “On one side, we were all thrilled you’re back, but from the other… we’ve hurt Tim so bad by not believing him, that he sought help from a freaking mass murderer rather than his own family...”

Bruce took a while to process all of that information and thankfully the others let him. “If you told me all of that sooner, we could have started fixing the situation months ago” he said ruefully.

“I think we all kinda hoped it’s going to get better by itself now that you’re back” Stephanie admitted. “We were ashamed too, besides I really don’t know how to talk to him anymore, he’s not himself. I look at him and I- I fear him. He defeated the Demon Head, worked by his side before that… He just seems to hold no emotion now, you know? Like something has been switched off and took away all that made Tim… well, Tim.” Everyone present understood that.

“No, it’s definitely him, the little we know about what he went through already sounds like hell and that could be just the surface of his true story. It formed him into the Tim he is now.” Bruce realized that just now. He’d have to talk to boy alone, without all the people that unintentionally kept hurting him even more that they already did.

He tried calling Tim after that, but he never answered the phone.

xxxxx

Bruce found Tim’s address on his desk in the Batcave a day later. It was written in the neatest handwriting a person could have. Jason. He still remembered how eager the boy was to learn how to write when he took him in and how hard he worked to achieve it.

He’d have to remember to thank him later.

He dressed in his ninja-like attire once again and came to Tim’s apartment that night. Through the kitchen window, like a responsible adult he was. 

The sight that met him was just pitiful. Mass of empty coffee cups, and energetic drink cans covered most of the floor, no food in sight. At least the mess didn’t come out of the kitchen yet, Bruce though as he made his way through the hall. He heard keyboard clicking from one of the rooms and carefully went in.

Tim sat at the computer with his legs up on the chair he was occupying. He looked so damn tiny curled up like that. His too-long hair were wild, bugs under eyes even more prominent than yesterday, which suggested that the boy didn’t get any sleep since Bruce have last saw him.

Tim’s head turned to him unhurriedly and Bruce watched as the boy blinked a few times, probably trying to sharpen his eyesight. That’s when the older man realized he still didn’t take off his ninja mask.

But before he could move, Tim started talking. “Again so soon? But it’s been only...” he trailed off, thinking about something and when he couldn’t quite figure it out, the boy looked back at his computer and then again at Bruce “Okay, it’s been like 6 days, I didn’t realize.”

Confused, Bruce watched as Tim stood up shakily, got closer to him and then patted his arm “Thanks Eleven, or maybe you’re Three? A big comeback, bro.” He squinted at the older man. “No, actually wait, I don’t think I’ve seen you before. None of his ninjas were this big.”

His ninjas. His as in Ra’s? Tim was casual about meeting Ra’s ninjas in his apartment and gave them numbers? Weren’t they supposed to be enemies? And a second thing, just how tired the boy must be not to recognize him in the costume he’s seen him in?

“Well, anyway,” the boy continued while patting his arm “congratulations on your promotion, I wish you could tell me what you’ve done to anger Ra’s enough to make you my nanny for the time being.” Tim grimaced. “But you never talk” he whispered with a haunted look. “If you’re just a hallucination like the last one, I’m going to be so angry when I wake up.” 

Bruce just stood there baffled. Tim has never been much of a talker, especially when he was as tired as that. 6 days? Is that how long the boy hasn’t slept? So much was happening at once, Bruce had too many question, the most important one being what the boy’s relationship with Ra’s was.

Someone must be hearing his prayers, because a comm link Bruce didn’t notice the boy wore, came to life. The older man couldn’t her the actual words, just the fact that someone was talking.

“What do you mean you didn’t send anybody? He’s standing right here.” Tim poked him in the chest to punctuate his statement.

It was the other earpiece, Bruce remembered, the one he used at a Teen Titans mission. He contacted Ra’s that way, Bruce’s eyes widened in shock and recognition.

“I mean, he still didn’t attack me, so whatever, he can stay” he stopped, listening to an answer from the earpiece “I just said I’m keeping him, doesn’t matter if he’s yours or not” he all but pouted.

On the one side, Bruce recognized just how freakishly adorable the boy was being now and made him remember that he is, in fact, only 17. On the other though, the casual way he was addressing an immortal leader of the biggest assassins league made Bruce cringe internally. Ra’s was allowing that? 

“Six days…” pause “Yes I’m aware that’s why I wanted to go to bed-” another pause “Oh my God, don’t you have an army to command? Or a pit to dip in? Honestly... ” Tim grumbled as he made his way out of the room and left Bruce alone, in a confused state he really should get used to already.

xxxxx

Bruce waited all 16 hours for the boy to wake up, in the meantime he finally took of the ninja mask, cleaned up the kitchen, ordered some food and, completely by accident, went through all the files on Tim’s conveniently turned on computer.

What he found were hundreds of solved cases that Bruce have never even heard of, they all were just from the last few months. Tim solved those even before any of the Bats had a chance to put a single hand on them. And here Bruce thought he couldn’t be more impressed by the boy anymore.

He considered just sneaking into a room Tim disappeared in and taking the ear piece from the sleeping boy to talk to Ra’s, but stopped himself before doing anything. He chose to hear Tim’s side of story first over the immortal’s.

When Tim finally stumbled out of his bedroom and walked straight to the coffee machine, Bruce, with a newspaper in hands, was seated on a sofa in the living room that had the kitchen attached to it, so he could clearly see everything the boy was doing.

While the whole process of coffee making lasted, Tim hasn’t opened his eyes even once. The boy remained blind even as he took the mug and made his way to the sofa that Bruce occupied. He sat next to the older man and drank his coffee in silence.

Bruce couldn’t stop himself from watching the boy. He found him so endearing in a state like that, the man almost felt as if all that drama involving the boy never existed.

Unfortunately, Bruce’s good mood didn’t last long, because when the boy moved to make himself more comfortable on the couch, his hair moved and Bruce was met by the sight of that damned earpiece.

“Morning” he murmured softly to check if the boy was corresponding yet.

“M’nin’” blue/gray eyes opened and looked at him, not really seeing. It took Tim several more blinks for his brain to finally recognize the face he was seeing. When he did, the boy jumped off from the couch in surprise.

Despite all the time Bruce has spent waiting for the boy to wake up, he still had no idea about how to bring up the topic. “Oh, you’re up now” was all that came out of his mouth.

Bruce patted the place Tim previously have been sitting at and the boy obediently followed a silent request. He must have still been in shock to follow his lead so easily, Bruce thought ruefully, after all taking orders was old Tim’s thing, not this new one.

“Wanna tell me what’s been going on with you, Tim?” Bruce searched the boy’s eyes for answers.

Tim only shrugged “What do you mean?” he said with real-sounding confusion in his voice.

“Tim, please, it’s not time for jokes” he started. “I know you went through some hard times when I’ve been… away and that you had to survive them all completely alone, but it’s over now. You can have the support you needed, don’t cut off from me, from us. We’ve made some mistakes, but we’re willing to help now” he said that from the bottom of his heart, with all the sincerity he could muster.

Tim have been mulling what he said over for a while, before coming to some conclusion, nodding to himself and locking eyes with Bruce with determined look. 

“You know what? I changed my mind, I’ll happily tell you what’s wrong” the boy said, but his expression didn’t match his angry tone of voice. “I am so done with all of you Bats’ your strict moral code, your damn everything!” he shouted, in the meantime he rose his right hand and pointed at the earpiece Bruce almost forgot the boy was wearing. “I brought you from your fucking grave and what do I get?” Tim’s index finger was in front of his lips now in the international sign for ‘stay silent’. He stayed in this position and stared at the older man intently until he nodded in understanding “Side glances and insults! Not even one single ‘Sorry Tim, you’ve been right all this time’.”

The boy took a notebook and a pen from a coffee table that stood next to the sofa and started writing something down, not stopping his rantings even for a second. “I feel so fucking done with all of you, every single person from my so-called family disappoints me time and time again and expects me to just let it go. Admit your fucking mistakes already! One little sorry could have made all of that so much easier to bear” he slipped the note he just scribbled to Bruce.

It read: ‘I’ll destroy his League for good. From the inside. I’ve got to gain Ra’s trust to take a place by his side. He has to believe I don’t want to have anything to do with you. Don’t tell the others. Just watch. RR’ Bruce looked up to see the sharp smile that haunted criminals in their sleep, Robin’s smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! This story has been bothering me for a long time and I finally decided to put it on paper ;)
> 
> Any and all corrections are welcomed and appreciated!
> 
> Please comment, hearing what you guys think is my favorite part of writing 💓


	2. Bonus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some random things that didn't get in the final cut, but I liked them too much not to show

(This is the last report Tim had written that Bruce was supposed to find instead of 'I'll find Bruce alone')

Tim’s writing resembled ramblings of an insane man rather than a real report.

‘He took him away. Dick took Robin away from me.  
I came to the cave and he was just there, wearing my suit.  
The last thing keeping me sane, keeping me whole, keeping me alive. Gone.  
Gremlin laughed in my face, called me a riff-raff, cast me out of my home.  
Dick did nothing when the little Demon said it’s not my home anymore. He agrees with him.  
I’m not coming back to where I’m unwanted.  
I’ve got nothing to lose anymore and I know he’s alive.  
I’ll find him even if I have to do this alone.  
You can all call me crazy but I know it’s true, I know it, I know it, I know it.  
Until I think for too long about it, I know I'm right...’

xxxxx

(At the beginning I didn't plan for Bats to reveal the truth to Bruce. He was supposed to be stalking Tim until the boy confronted him about it)

“You found what you needed already? ‘Couse I’m tired of you tailing me all the time”

“I get it, you wanted to make sure I'm not the enemy, that’s fine.”

xxxxx

(Another idea that I had was Tim breaking after Damian's accusations on that Bats meeting and kinda guilt tripping the rest)

“Have any of you even tried to look at this whole situation from my point of view?” Tim looked around, but all of the present people averted their eyes. Everyone except Bruce, so the boy focused on him. “I lost my father, two best friends and then my another father in one month. I talk with Dick about how Robin is the only thing keeping me alive now and the next day I come to the cave to see Damian in my costume. No explanation, nothing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you @artificiallifecreator for a good idea to explain those fragments!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This story has been bothering me for a long time and I finally decided to put it on paper ;)
> 
> Any and all corrections are welcomed and appreciated!
> 
> Please comment, hearing what you guys think is my favorite part of writing 💓


End file.
